Medical Bulletin 08/Jul/2025 - Video

Here are the top medical news for the day:

How Hearing Devices Improve Social Well Being?

A new study has found that hearing aids and cochlear implants can significantly enhance the social well-being of adults with hearing loss. Findings are published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.

Hearing loss affects an estimated 40 million American adults, but many go untreated. According to lead researcher Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine, untreated hearing loss can make communication challenging, often causing individuals to withdraw from social interactions.

To better understand this link, Choi and her team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 65 previously published studies, analyzing data from more than 5,000 participants. They focused on three key areas: social quality of life, perceived social handicap, and loneliness. The findings revealed that hearing device users felt more connected, were better able to navigate group conversations, and experienced fewer barriers and frustrations in social settings.

Participants using cochlear implants, which provide greater hearing restoration than hearing aids, reported the most dramatic improvements. The study also suggested that hearing devices may reduce loneliness, although more research is needed in this area.

While the study did not measure cognitive effects directly, Choi emphasized the broader implications: “The improvements we saw in communication and social engagement suggest that by restoring clearer communication, hearing devices may help preserve cognitive health by keeping the brain more actively involved and people more connected.”

These findings build on previous research by Choi showing that hearing aid use is associated with a nearly 25% lower risk of mortality. “We hope this encourages more people to seek treatment and helps clinicians start conversations with patients about how hearing devices can improve their quality of life,” she said.

Reference: Kaitlin Hori, Rishabh Shah, Akhil Paladugu, Tyler J. Gallagher, Sophie S. Jang, Elizabeth V. Weinfurter, Choo Phei Wee, Janet S. Choi. Social Outcomes Among Adults With Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 2025; DOI: 10.1001/jamaoto.2025.1777

Even in Your 70s, Your Brain May Be Making New Memory Cell

In a new study published in the journal Science, Swedish researchers from the Karolinska Institutet have found compelling evidence that the human brain continues to produce new neurons in the hippocampus well into late adulthood. The study, which used advanced imaging and molecular techniques, adds weight to the idea that our brains remain more flexible and adaptable than previously believed, potentially paving the way for new therapies targeting memory loss and neurological diseases.

The hippocampus is a region of the brain known to play a crucial role in learning, memory, and emotion regulation. Until recently, scientists debated whether neurogenesis—the formation of new neurons—continued into adulthood. The new study by Professor Jonas Frisen and his team builds on earlier research from 2013 that demonstrated mature human brains are capable of generating new neurons in the hippocampus.

To investigate this phenomenon, researchers examined brain tissue from international biobanks, analyzing samples from individuals aged between 0 and 78 years. They utilized sophisticated tools such as flow cytometry to observe cell characteristics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to monitor gene activity at the individual cell level. By incorporating machine learning, they were able to map the full trajectory of neuron development—from stem cells to immature neurons, many of which were still dividing.

The team also applied RNAscope and Xenium technologies, which pinpoint active genes within the tissue, to confirm the exact location of these developing cells. These tools revealed that the new neurons were found specifically in the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus critical for learning and cognitive flexibility.

"We have now been able to identify these cells of origin, which confirms that there is an ongoing formation of neurons in the hippocampus of the adult brain," said Professor Frisen. The findings further show that adult human neural progenitor cells share similarities with those found in mice, pigs, and monkeys, though with some gene activity differences.

Interestingly, the study also found significant individual variability. While some adults had abundant neural progenitor cells, others showed very few, pointing to possible genetic or environmental influences on brain plasticity.

Reference: Ionut Dumitru et al., Identification of proliferating neural progenitors in the adult human hippocampus.Science389,58-63(2025).DOI:10.1126/science.adu9575

Is Your Brain Aging Too Fast? New Study Can Tell from One Brain Scan

A team of researchers from Duke University, Harvard, and the University of Otago have developed a brain scan tool that can estimate how fast someone is aging — long before signs of physical or cognitive decline appear. The findings, published in the journal Nature Aging, reveal that a single MRI scan in midlife can predict a person’s risk for chronic diseases, including dementia, decades in advance.

While some people age gracefully, others begin to show signs of frailty or memory loss earlier than expected.

Using brain imaging data, researchers created a tool called DunedinPACNI, designed to assess biological aging from just one snapshot of the brain.

To build this tool, researchers used data from the Dunedin Study, a long-term health project following 1,037 people born in New Zealand in 1972-73. Over two decades, researchers tracked participants’ health indicators — like blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and kidney function — to calculate a “biological aging” score. They then trained DunedinPACNI using MRI scans from 860 of these individuals at age 45.

The tool was tested on additional datasets from the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Latin America. Across all groups, individuals identified as “fast agers” by the tool showed more rapid memory decline, reduced hippocampal volume, and poorer performance on cognitive tests. Alarmingly, in one study of adults aged 52 to 89, fast agers were 60% more likely to develop dementia, and 40% more likely to die within several years.

"The link between aging of the brain and body are pretty compelling," said Ahmad Hariri, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke. The tool also worked across socioeconomic and racial groups, showing consistent accuracy.

With dementia care costs projected to skyrocket to $9.12 trillion by 2050, early detection is critical. “Drugs can't resurrect a dying brain,” Hariri noted, highlighting the urgency of earlier interventions.

Reference: Duke University. (2025, July 2). A midlife MRI that spots rapid aging and signals disease long before symptoms. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 2, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250702074312.htm